Legumes

2013 is the year of the legume for our micro farm. We have a large planting of fava beans which are now starting to flower. In addition, we have planted a large number of other legumes for experimentation this year. Our varieties include:

Pole

• Corn Bean
• Cherokee Trail of Tears
• Hidatsa Red Indian
• Rattlesnake Pole
• Tarbias Pole

Bush

• Blue Lake
• Fava
• Purple Hull Speakled
• Purple Hull Pinkeye Cowpea
• Six Week Purple Hull Cowpea
• Soya Bean Envy
• White Rice
• White Whippoorwill Cowpea

Legumes are excellent sources of protein. They are the primary source of protein for vegetarians like our family. They also have the wonderful ability to associate with bacteria and fix nitrogen into the soil. You can use legumes as a cover crop to increase nitrogen content and build humus matter in the soil.

As we harvest the legume crop, I will add to this article a more "complete" variety description, and confirm or update what others have written. I will also add images and try to give an idea of yield per foot row of planting.

These legume seeds were obtained through Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.


Resources

• Beans (2012 post)
• Green Beans (2012 post)